MJ the Musical embodies the outsized showmanship of Michael Jackson himself. This jukebox musical is big, spectacular and dazzling.
Set during rehearsals before Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour in July 1992, it uses that point in time as a base to explore his life through a series of flashbacks. It also includes several songs from his future, which were yet to be recorded and released.
The technical prowess of MJ the Musical is mind-boggling. The sets, backdrops, HD videos, projections, lifts, traps, lighting and sound combine to create a thrilling show.
The cast’s singing, dancing and acting are top notch, as is the music itself – no surprise, since it draws on the extensive back catalogues of Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5/The Jacksons.
The house band – overseen by music director Michael Azzopardi (Hamilton, Billy Elliot, & Juliet, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!) – bring the back catalogue to sparkling life.
Roman Banks as Jackson is brilliant; his depiction is uncannily realistic. His shapeshifting performance has you forgetting it’s not M J himself up there on stage.
As pure entertainment, it doesn’t get any better.
But there’s a pall hanging over the entire thing. The elephant in the room – the sexual abuse allegations that dominated the last two decades of Jackson’s life – are almost entirely absent from this show.
In this two-hour, 48-minute musical (including interval) the topic is given a grand total of about two seconds’ time, when a reporter asks Jackson: “What’s your response to the allegations?”
This comes at the very end of a scene depicting the Dangerous World Tour press conference. Before an answer arrives, the lights dim and we swiftly move on to the next scene.
The problem is, even if we’re to believe Jackson was entirely innocent of the multitudinous allegations, it’s utterly ridiculous to ignore them in a musical that purports to portray his life story.
MJ the Musical gives considerable time to the physical and verbal abuse Jackson allegedly suffered at the hands of his father, Joe (Derrick Davis). We are invited to feel sorry for Jackson and empathise with him. But Michael Jackson’s own alleged victims of rape are completely sidelined.
This musical has already played Broadway, the West End and Hamburg, Germany. It was defended by M J fanatics who were quick to point out the allegations against Jackson were never proven in a court of law.
This is true. But the same could be said about O J Simpson, who was never convicted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
It could be said of Jimmy Savile, who, unlike Jackson, was never charged and never faced court over his alleged offending.
Yet the idea of examining their lives without referring to these events is preposterous.
It’s preposterous here too.
Which is why this reviewer walked away from MJ the Musical more disturbed than dazzled.
Yes, it was a dazzling show. But it is insulting and offensive to be expected to compartmentalise to this extent.
Clearly, we’re meant to ‘put all that aside’, have a good night out and bugger the complicated stuff.
Read: Book review: Melbourne and the Movies, Ross Campbell
But how? And, more importantly, why?
The answer to that is found within the show itself. At several points, we’re invited to consider the avaricious behaviour of the media and various other ‘vultures’ feeding on M J’s complicated life for monetary gain…
MJ the Musical
Book by Lynn Nottage
Presented by Michael Cassel Group
Sydney Lyric Theatre
Producers: John Branca, Michael Cassel, John McClain, Lia Vollack
Director and choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon
Music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements: David Holcenberg
Orchestrations and arrangements: Jason Michael Webb
Scenic design: Derek McLane
Lighting design: Natasha Katz
Costume design: Paul Tazewell
Sound design: Gareth Owen
Production design: Peter Nigrini
Michael Jackson movement: Rich + Tone Talauega
Hair and wig design: Charles G Lapointe
Makeup design: Joe Dulude II
Electronic music design: Strange Cranium
Global associate director: Dontee Kiehn
Global associate choreographer: Michael Balderrama
Resident director: Effie Nkrumah
Associate dance supervisor: Brendan Yeates
Resident dance supervisor: Elysha Manik
Music director: Michael Azzopardi
Associate scenic designer: Erica Hemminger
Associate lighting designer: Simon Sherriff
Australian associate lighting designer: Kathy Pineo
Associate costume designer: Christine Meyers
Australian costume associate: Jude Loxley
Associate sound designer: Russell Godwin
Australian associate sound designer: Julian Spink
Associate projection designer: Kate Ducey
Australian wigs, hair and makeup associate: Kylie Clarke
Associate wigs and hair designer: Loren Skora
Technical director: Cameron Flint
Casting director: Lauren Wiley
Directing consultant: Leah Howard
Global general management: Bespoke Theatricals
Principal cast: Roman Banks, Liam Damons, Derrick Davis, Penny McNamee, Josslynn Hlenti Afoa, Wonza Jackson, Conlon Bonner, Yashith Fernando, Tim Wright
Tickets: $70 to $385
MJ the Musical will be performed until 3 August 2025.
